Biography

In a decade of fine lock forwards, including Jack Kingston, ''Babe'' Collins and Andy Norval, Wally Prigg was always Australia's first-choice. Prigg was the first player to tour three times with the Kangaroos and the only player to make three sea voyages to England with Kangaroo teams.

All up, Prigg spent more than a year of his life as a Kangaroo tourist.

He turned 21 on his first tour in 1929–30 and acquitted himself well, playing 16 tour matches, including the first two Tests.

Four years later, he was at the height of his powers as a player when he toured as a member of Frank McMillan's Kangaroos.

The wiry lock forward played all three Tests on tour and created a slice of history by scoring the first rugby league try on French soil in an international between Australia and England.

Prigg returned to France four years later as captain of the Kangaroos and led Australia into the inaugural Test against the French in Paris.

He was a rarity in that his entire club career was played outside Sydney and Brisbane. He preferred to stay in Newcastle, turning out for Wests and Centrals.

In 1938, league pioneer Billy Cann rated Prigg rugby league's greatest lock to that point, and in doing so he reflected what came to be an almost unanimity of view about a footballer who was called more than once ''Newcastle's favourite son'': that Wally Prigg stands tall in the line of champion Australian lock forwards.

“He is without doubt one of the greatest loose forwards the game has known.”